College Life
by AshTMI17
Summary: Jace and Clary have known each other since they were 5 years old. Clary was his sister's best friend. And he was in love with her. What will happen when the whole gang ends up at NYU together? Will old feelings come back to the surface? Does Clary feel the same way? A story COMPLETELY in Jace POV! Rated T for now, may go up to M if the lemony mood strikes!
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own any of the Mortal Instruments characters, only the plot of my story. All credit to the characters goes to Cassandra Clare. **

Izzy and I were finally going to college. We decided to go to NYU because I got an awesome athletics scholarship and Izzy got a volleyball scholarship. Plus, our brother Alec and his boyfriend, Magnus, already go to school here which makes it all the better. I was moving in with Alec and Magnus and Izzy was moving into the apartment next door with one of her friends. And today was moving day! The summer heat was suffocating. By the time my dad and I got my bedroom furniture upstairs, I was sweating profusely – so much so that my shirt was sticking to my skin. Not that anyone would dislike the view, but still, I felt gross.

"Jace, go next door to Izzy's and grab my drill please. I need it to assemble some of this stuff," my dad was underneath the bed frame, trying to put it together, and clearly struggling.

"Sure dad," I said as I walked out of the bedroom and meandered downstairs. Luckily, Iz and my mom were shopping for apartment stuff, so I didn't have to deal with all that excitement right now. I was tired, hot, and just not in the mood.

I let myself in to Izzy's apartment. There was even more stuff there, I guess her roommate had started moving in. I tried to sift through the messy living room to find the drill, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Seriously, it was like it up and walked away. I was hunting for the tool in Izzy's disaster of a bedroom for ten minutes when the front door opened. Mom and Izzy were back! _Crap._ I quickly left the room and met my family by the front door. There was a redheaded woman I didn't recognize carrying bags in.

They sat everything down and my mom said, "Jace, you remember Jocelyn, Clary's mom." _No. Not possible. Clary can't possibly be Iz's new roommate. Iz would have told me. Right?_ It had been obvious to Izzy that I was in love with Clary for almost my entire life – I finally gave up when she started dating my pal Sebastian junior year. We weren't close, she was my sister's best friend but we didn't hang out much. And I avoided her once she and Seb were together. I hadn't seen her since graduation. My eyes met Izzy's and she nodded her head discretely. _Clary is my neighbor. I'm going to kill my sister. Am I happy about this or mad? Or both? What the hell is going on?_

While I was lost in my thoughts, Izzy, Jocelyn, and my mom sat down on the plush tan sofas. They were gabbing about color schemes or something. I was standing there, totally dumbstruck. Then, because my life couldn't get any more painful, Clary walked through the front door, her arms full of large art canvases. I tried to hold in my smile as I unfroze and put my arms out to grab some of the paintings.

"God, thanks guys for helping me with the paintings! Going up two flights of stairs without being able to see over the canvas was a piece of cake! And thank you Jace for actually helping instead of sitting over there staring at a magazine!"

She smiled at me as we put the paintings on the floor leaning against the breakfast bar wall, then she stood awkwardly next to me. She was wearing a pair of the shortest shorts I'd ever seen and a white tank top. Sweat was beading on her forehead and her hair was in a messy bun, with just a few pieces falling to frame her face. Her toes were painted bright red, matching her hair. She was beautiful. Suddenly I couldn't breathe. I realized I'd been in this apartment way too long.

"Mom, where's the drill? Dad needs it." She pointed to the pantry and I found the drill sitting on a pantry shelf. _I wonder what they were doing that the drill was in the pantry_. I slipped out the door into the hallway walking toward my apartment. I felt a hand on my arm and immediately stopped walking.

"Would you mind if I hung out with you and your dad? Izzy and the moms are picking out rugs, comforter sets, and cooking utensils and I'm totally not into that." My eyes bulged in my head at the thought of Izzy with cooking utensils. I have a theory that her food is what finally killed off the dinosaurs.

"Don't worry Jace, I won't let Izzy kill us. I plan on barely letting her use the microwave," Clary finished, noticing my look. We made it to my apartment and found my dad lounging on the sofa with a beer in his hand. The TV was hooked up and he had the football game on.

When he saw us walk in he said, "Jace, I thought your mom and Iz devoured you. So, naturally, I hooked up the TV and plopped down to watch the game. Hey Clary!" She smiled and sat down on the small loveseat and I sat next to her, very uncomfortable with her proximity. Usually with girls I was smooth and calm, but with Clary I was a mess. She had her knees tucked under her and her feet were resting against my leg – that's how close we were. It was silent other than the game, until Clary's phone rang.

"Sure Luke. I'll be right there." She got up and stretched, showing a thin, alluring strip of skin. "I gotta go guys, my step-dad is here with more of my stuff. I'll see you guys tonight at dinner though! Thanks for letting me hide out from Izzy and the moms!" She kissed me on the cheek and basically skipped out of my apartment, just as Alec was coming in.

"See ya later Alec," she murmured.

"Yep, bye Clare." I was too stunned to do or say anything. _She kissed me. I can feel her lips on my cheek. Oh my god. _

"Awww Jacey, your blush is so cute," Alec said mockingly. He and my dad were both cracking up.

"Whatever, I'm going to put my stuff away. And Dad, if the furniture isn't completely put together before dinner, Mom's going to kill you," I added as I left the room. I was confused. All I knew was that I couldn't wait for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews, I really appreciate them! Please keep it up! Now to respond to some of your questions.**

**Regarding Clary's family: Clary's father was Valentine, but he died when she was rather young. Because this story is Jace focused, Clary's backstory will only be told when she decides to tell him. Luke is her step-father, as mentioned in chapter 1. He and Jocelyn got married when Clary was eight and they are very close. Also, Clary is an only child in this story for the simple reason that I feel no need to include Jonathan in the story. However, if it makes you feel better, you can pretend that he is already in college on the other side of the country.**

**Regarding Jace: If you haven't noticed, Jace is out of character in this story. In this story, he is a biological Lightwood, so he's not so emotionally messed up. He IS a player, but Clary makes the sappy, emotional him come out. Basically, we are going to see the inner workings of his brain. But, as you'll see, what he thinks doesn't always correspond to what he does.**

**Regarding Sebastian: He and Clary dated throughout the summer before senior year of high school and during the first half of senior year. They broke up over winter break of senior year, but they remained really good friends. He, Izzy, and Clary were best friends before and after the relationship. Some of the back story will be in this chapter. There's an interesting twist! Jace and Sebastian were friends. Seb knew how Jace felt about Clary and dated her anyway, so Jace sort of cut him out after that. He felt betrayed.**

Finally, it was time to get ready for dinner. My room was finally together. I channeled all my nervous Clary centered energy into a compulsive need to organize my room. Alec and Magnus' stuff was all over the place, but at least my room was clean. Satisfied with my surroundings, I decided to take a shower to get all the grime and sweat off of me that accumulated throughout the day of moving and unpacking. Ten minutes later, I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my waist. I opened my bathroom door and stepped into my bedroom, preoccupied with thoughts of Clary and what I was going to wear. I stood in front of my closet, thinking, when I heard a knock on my door. Expecting it to be my brother telling me to hurry up, I swung the door open. And I was shocked. Clary stood in front of me, looking breathtaking. She was wearing a black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places and ended about half way down her thighs. Her hair was down and flowing and she was wearing her signature black Chucks. And she was staring at me. I watched as her mouth hung open as she looked up and down my body, unashamed.

"I… um… sorry. I didn't mean to… interrupt you. I uhh… you left your phone at my apartment. I thought you'd want it back," she mumbled. Her cheeks were as red as her hair. But she was still looking at my exposed chest.

"Clary, I know I'm distractingly attractive, but if you're gonna give me my phone back, you actually have to give it to me," I teased and gave her a wink. Thank goodness I am really good at putting on my cold, unaffected face. This seemed to snap her out of it. She handed me the phone.

"Hurry and get dressed. We're leaving in ten minutes. I'm gonna go say hi to Magnus, since he can't come tonight," she said, regaining her confidence. She turned around and left my room, closing the door behind her. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Turning back to my closet, I chose dark wash jeans and a white button up shirt. I rolled the sleeves on the shirt up, showing off the tattoo on my arm. I ran a comb through my golden, wavy hair and slipped on my Sperry's. And I was ready – I was ready to give up my playboy ways. Ready to take the next step with Clary. I was going to tell her tonight, after dinner. I opened the door and found Clary and Alec sitting on the couch laughing. Clary's eyes met mine. We stared at each other for a minute before she spoke.

"Magnus just left for work, so lets go. Izzy texted me to let me know she was riding with your parents and they'll meet us there. My parents are meeting us there too," Clary said, clearly a bit nervous. She stood up, I grabbed my keys and we left. Alec kept looking at me with an odd look on his face. The tension was suffocating. The whole ride there was awkward. Alec was driving and I kept sneaking peeks at Clary from the rearview mirror. She was staring out the window; she looked peaceful. After what felt like hours, we arrived at the restaurant. Clary's parents were already there. She walked up to them and hugged them both.

"Hey guys! You're on time. Naturally Maryse is running late," Jocelyn joked. She was grinning as Luke wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Clary glowed as she sat down next to Luke. Ten minutes later, Maryse, Robert, and Izzy walked through the door.

"Thank god! Iz, I was seriously starving to death!" I exclaimed dramatically as I grabbed her by the shoulders. I led the way as we were sat at our large table. I sat next to Clary and Izzy and Alec sat across from us. Our parents were at the other end of the table. It was nice. Comfortable. We were joking and enjoying dinner when a familiar face walked up to us.

"Seb, you came!" Clary exclaimed, jumping out of her chair and wrapping her arms around his neck. Suddenly, I felt like I was going to throw up. Alec pulled a chair over and Seb sat next to Clary. Greetings were exchanged, but I wasn't paying any attention. _I thought they broke up after New Years. What the hell? Just when I thought I had a chance, her high school sweetheart shows up!_ I silently ate my dinner, counting the moments until I could leave. Seb was whispering in Clary's ear, making her laugh. He was entertaining Izzy and Alec, too. They all loved him. My insecure self came out. I told the group that I felt sick and that I was taking a cab home and left, without waiting for further goodbyes.

I was standing on the corner, waiting for a cab, when a small hand grabbed mine. "Jace," my red headed angel whispered. On the busy New York City street corner, she was the only one that existed. "What's wrong?"

I turned to face her. "Nothing, I'm fine. Just feeling a little sick."

"That's bullshit Jace. What the hell is going on? Do you have a problem with Sebastian? Izzy, Seb, and I were best friends in high school. We knew he was in the city before he leaves again next week. We wanted to say goodbye. What I don't get is why it bothers you so much. You guys were friends for so long, then suddenly you weren't! I just don't understand." She looked sincerely confused. She wanted answers and I knew Clary. There was no escaping it until I gave her answers.

"We were friends. Then he asked you out when we were juniors. I was shocked! I mean, it came out of nowhere. To be honest, I thought he was into Izzy, but then he asked you out. And you started dating him! I mean, he knew how I felt about you and did it anyway! God, my heart broke!" She gasped and I froze, shocked by what just came out of my mouth.

"I… I didn't know," she mumbled, staring at the ground.

"Whatever, Clary. I really can't do this right now. I'm leaving, I'll see you later," I said. I flagged down a cab and climbed in. I glanced at the sidewalk, where Clary was just standing, staring. Then I drove away.

When I got home, I shrugged out of my clothes and threw on some old sweatpants. I couldn't even think straight. I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and plopped down on the couch, trying to forget. I flicked the TV on to some horror movie and zoned out.

"Jace fucking Lightwood! What the hell!? Clary is in tears in my apartment. What happened?" Izzy was here. Oh no. I tried to ignore her, but she slapped my cheek.

"Go away Iz. I don't want to talk about it."

"That's not a fucking answer, Jace. I'm serious right now. I am so close to murdering you. Clary is my BEST FRIEND. So, again, I ask WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?"

I stood up and walked towards my room. "I don't know Iz. Go away. I just want to be alone." With that, I slammed my door and locked it. I didn't want to be around anyone. I heard her yelling in the living, probably at Alec, who was most likely not listening, about how she knew I would break Clary's heart. I couldn't listen anymore, so I sunk into bed and fell into a restless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: someone asked about why Clary was crying. You won't know yet. One of the joys of writing from Jace's POV is that you don't know anything Jace doesn't know. And he doesn't know yet! He was too distracted with his pity party… but don't worry, he will figure everything out in good time.**

**Also, please keep reviewing! It gives me the encouragement I need to keep writing! Thank you all so much! **

A week ago. It was a week ago that I yelled at Clary. A week that I've spent practically hibernating in my bedroom. I ruined every possibility I ever had with her. She hated me now. And she had Seb, who was nice and never yelled or ran away. Why would she ever want me? She wouldn't. Alec tried to talk to me, but he only received one word answers until he finally gave up. Magnus didn't like my attitude so he just ignored me. I hadn't seen Izzy or Clary since that awful night. I knew school started in a couple days and I was going to have to face her. But not yet. I was sitting there, staring mindlessly at some show on MTV, when someone busted through my bedroom door. It was her. She was here. I sat up, shocked.

"We are talking right now. Turn off the god damn TV. NOW, Jace," she was practically growling. I did as she said and she sat at the foot of my bed, near where my feet were rested.

"I talked to Izzy," she whispered, the anger apparently gone. She was looking at anything but me. "She told me everything." At that, I looked up, panicked. She was angry because of my feelings?

"Jace, Sebastian and I are not dating. We are not going to date. We never dated, actually." I just looked at her as she talked, too stunned to speak.

-Flashback-

It was the first day of senior year. I was walking through the hall on my way to my locker, with Kaelie on my arm. She was a hot cheerleader and I was the star quarterback. Clearly we were perfect together. Neither of us were what you would call "relationship people." So we just fooled around with the clear understanding that there was no commitment or relationship. It was the perfect friends with benefits situation. It didn't matter though. With or without Kaelie, all I could think about was Clary. She was my sister's best friend. We were never close, but we ran in the same circle. She was a beautiful, popular cheerleader but yet she was so different than the others.

Whenever I kissed Kaelie, I couldn't help but see flashes of red, curly hair and green eyes staring at me. It was torture. All I wanted to do was sweep her off her feet. To make her mine forever. Everyone in school knew – except for Clary, of course. To her, I was just her best friend's brother. An friend she shared classes and a lunch table with.

I separated from Kaelie to go to my locker, which happened to be right next to Clary's. What I saw when I turned the corner and my locker came into view, I saw my worst nightmare in front of my eyes. Clary and Sebastian, holding hands and laughing. Seb and I were on the football team, he was a running back and I was, naturally, the star quarterback. He knew how I felt. Everyone did. And yet here he was, holding her hand. Acting like her boyfriend. My blood was boiling.

"Jace, hey man!" Seb said as they got to Clary's locker. I plastered a smirk on my face and greeted them.

"Hey guys! So, what's this?" I asked, attempting to seem uninterested as I glanced down at their interlocked hands.

"Oh, Seb and I are, um, well, we're kinda dating." Clary was stumbling on her words. It was adorable. My eyes met hers briefly before she looked away.

"Oh cool. Since when?" I asked.

"Um, since over the summer. You were away at camp and then on vacation… so I guess this was the first chance we had to tell you." Seb was nervous as he answered me, and I saw something in his eyes that I couldn't read. But I didn't care. I was too pissed to care.

"Oh, well congrats. See you guys around!" I said before turning around to meet Alec to get our new schedules. I didn't give them a chance to respond as I walked away as quickly as possible.

-End of Flashback-

That was the last real conversation I had with Clary or Sebastian. For the rest of the school year, I avoided them. Avoiding Seb was easy, I only talked to him about football or during polite group conversation. Clary was harder to resist. She was constantly at my house with Izzy. She never gave up trying to be my friend. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't even be in the same room with her without my heart breaking. Before I knew it, it was summer and I was off to be a counselor at a summer football camp in Florida – the same camp I had gone to during the fateful summer that I lost Clary without even knowing it. Then I came here, to NYU. And now here I was, staring at Clary shocked.

"Say something," Clary mumbled so quietly that I barely heard her.

"You're lying. I know you dated. I watched you with him every day. I watched you hold his hand and kiss him. I watched you be attached to each other's hip. I saw it." I glared at her incredulously, not believing what I was hearing.

She jumped off the bed and started pacing in my bedroom. "Dammit, Jace. HE'S GAY!" She slapped her hand over her mouth. Clearly, she wasn't planning on telling me that. I just sat there, staring at her.

"Yep, that's right. My only high school 'boyfriend' was gay. I was his fake girlfriend so he could stay in the freaking closet. As soon as we graduated, he moved to San Francisco, and he's just back to visit his family. He's starting at Berkley soon. So yeah, I'm that pathetic that I'm eighteen and I've never had a real boyfriend. Are you happy now? Please Jace, I was so in love with you in high school that I wanted to die every time I saw you with those girls. I figured 'dating' Seb would help him and maybe make you jealous. I didn't think it had worked. I never thought that you would like someone like me. I was always just your sister's friend."

_Oh. My. God. Is this real? Did Clary just say she loved me!? _I stood up and grabbed her hand, stopping her from continuing to pace. We stood and stared at each other for at least thirty seconds. I leaned down unconsciously and laced my fingers with hers. Then, when I couldn't take it anymore, I kissed her. And it was like fireworks went off in my mind. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't hear or smell anything. It was Clary. All Clary. My hands moved to her hips and hers wrapped around my neck. She broke away, needing air. I moved my mouth to her neck, kissing and sucking it gently. I smiled against her skin when I felt her shiver under my touch.

My mouth met hers again with an urgency I'd never felt before. Without realizing it, we stumbled back until she was on the bed and I was on top of her. My hands roamed her body before one landed in her hair and the other rested on her waist. She was tugging gently on my hair. It was magic. I groaned into her mouth. Her hands slipped under my shirt and ran across my abs. My hand cupped her ass. Our tongues were wrestling and I was painfully aware of how excited this whole thing made me.

Clary's hand slid down and ran across the waistband of my sweatpants. Now it was my turn to shiver. We rolled over so that she was straddling me and she quickly took off her shirt. Here was Clary, the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, straddling me in a lace bra and short shorts. I was in heaven. She moved her lips to my neck and I couldn't help but moan as I admired her beauty and felt the electric shock that every touch was bringing me. "Claryyyy" I drawled out in a whisper. And she suddenly froze. She jumped off of me and grabbed her tank top, throwing it over her head. _What the hell?_

Her face was red and flushed as she stumbled, looking for shoes that she apparently kicked off at some point. "Jace, I. I can't do this. I promised myself that I would never do this. Not with you." I just laid there, silently freaking out and watching her as she found her second shoe. She was crying. Again. I made her cry again. Dammit. "Bye Jace," was all I heard before she was gone. I jumped up and followed after her.

"Clary wait!" I exclaimed as she walked out of my apartment. "Please," I begged from my doorway as she was running next door.

"I'm sorry Jace," was all I heard her say before she went into her apartment, slamming the door behind her. I closed my door and stood against it, trying to catch my breath. _What just happened? _Then I smiled. I knew she felt it too. I just needed to show her. This was going to be fun.


	4. Chapter 4

A few days later, classes finally started. Orientation was boring, just introducing us to the school and picking our classes. However, I've been too distracted by what happened with Clary to do anything but robotically do what I'm told. The night after whatever the hell _that_ was happened with her, I talked to Izzy. I mean really talked. I told her everything. How I've felt for the longest time and everything that happened between Clary and I. The good news is she offered to help. The bad news is she was squealing like a school girl and mumbling to herself about her and Clary were finally going to be sisters. What the hell? Anyhow, at least someone was on my side, since apparently Alec and Magnus "don't want to get in between all that."

My mind was wandering as I meandered into my 9 am literature class. I was pre-law, but my passion was always literature. Since I had to take an English class anyway, I decided to indulge myself. I skimmed the large room, trying to find the perfect spot. Not in front with the nerds, but not so far back that the professor saw me as a slacker. Then I saw it. The flaming red hair sitting right in the middle of the auditorium. _Clary_. Of course. She was double majoring in English and fine art. I remember Izzy mentioning that the other night. Without thinking about it, I walked straight towards her and sat down next to her. She was talking to the girl next to her, not facing me at all.

I opened my bag and took out my laptop, preparing for my first college class. I stuffed my soccer gear under my seat. I brought it will me because I had class until right after my classes were over. I just sat there silently, watching as the room filled up. An older man entered and put his things down on the desk at the front of the room. He cleared his throat into the microphone and the room quieted. As Clary turned around, I saw her finally notice I was there. Her eyes widened and she paled. I just kept looking forward, pretending not to see her.

"Hello all, welcome to English Literature 101. I am Professor Hodge Starkweather and I will be seeing you every weekday at 9 am for the entire semester. And get used to the people sitting next to you, there will be a seating chart so that I can remember your names. I hope you all bought your copies of A Tale of Two Cities, because that will be our first book. For this evening, you will need to read chapters one through four and be prepared to discuss tomorrow. Now, I will hand out the syllabus and then you will spend the rest of class getting to know your neighbors." At that, I turned to Clary.

She looked like herself again, the color in her cheeks back. She was chatting with the girl next to her, again, so I decided to introduce myself. I leaned into Clary a bit and interrupted them. "Hi, I'm Jace Lightwood. And you are?" I said with my most charming voice.

The girl smiled and Clary just looked at me. "Maia, Maia Roberts. It's nice to meet you, Jace. This is Clary."

It was my turn to smile now. "Clary and I grew up together, actually," I said, bumping shoulders with the redhead beside me. The rest of the class was a blur, because Clary was actually talking to me for the first time since that fateful night in my apartment. I was on cloud nine. But I knew I needed to talk to her for real. When class was released, she practically ran out of the classroom. But I was a soccer and football player, and very fast, so I easily caught up with my short legged girl. My hand landed on her shoulder and she spun around, staring at me like I had horns. I grabbed her arm and dragged her to a secluded corner.

"Jace, I really need coffee before my next class. What do you want?" She seemed nervous.

"Clare, we need to talk about the other day. Please!" I can't believe I was begging. The things that one does for love are unimaginable. I could see indecision in her eyes and finally a silent acceptance.

"Fine, Jace. My next class isn't until noon. But I need coffee. So, lets get coffee," she said as she started to walk to the café that I knew was in the building next door. We walked in silence and, when we arrived, we sat in silence, just looking at each other.

"So, I'll get you your coffee," I said, standing again. "What do you want?"

"Just a coffee, black, like my soul. Please," she said. I could tell she was holding back a grin. I went and got her coffee but my mind was racing. _What should I say? Why doesn't she seem upset anymore?_ I sat back down across the table from her and handed her the cup of coffee.

"Thanks," she mumbled, offering money, which I, of course, refused. "Sooooo," she said, waiting for me to talk.

"Well, I'll start I guess. I'm sorry. For everything. I just don't know how everything got so screwed up. I've been in love with you since puberty. And based on the other night, I'm going to guess that you feel it too. But I'm not going to push you or rehash old heartbreak. I just want to move forward with you." I took a deep breath, looking at her green eyes.

She sighed. "Jace, I don't know what the hell I feel. I mean, I was in love with you as long as you were in love with me. But I gave up when you starting being the player that you became. I had to shield myself to protect my heart from the revolving door of sluts. There were so many times that I thought you knew, that you could feel the same way about me. I hoped dating Seb would make you jealous so you would act. But you didn't, you just withdrew. And I hurt even more. Seb and I broke up because I was a disaster. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep. He didn't think it was worth it. And Izzy kept trying to push me towards you. But you kept pushing me away for other, prettier girls. I saw the way you acted with them – like all you cared about was sex. So I gave up. And I just can't trust your words and risk pain like that again. I'm never going to be another notch in your bedpost, which is what you really want."

She was crying. I was about the break, again. She really thought that lowly of me. I was a horrible person who used women and threw them away. I guess she was right. But I was protecting my heart from her. And it worked. Until I saw her again when we moved here. And all the feelings came right back like they had never left. But I got it. I understood how much I had hurt her. I just wanted to fix it.

"We… we could be friends. You know, just friends. Get to know each other again," I suggested, praying that she would say yes. A small smile came to her lips and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"I'd like to be friends," was all she said.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my class schedule, which I had printed this morning. "Well, let's compare classes like we all used to do!" She smiled even more and grabbed her schedule out of her bag. She took mine and compared them.

"Well, English lit, obviously. And also biology and college algebra. So, you're in three of my five classes. I'm also taking two art classes, one on drawing and another on painting. And I see you're taking an introductory law class and political theory. Are you pre-law?" I nodded. "Cool!" We started chatting about anything and everything. I told her about working at the camp and caught her up on my life. She told me about going to Europe with her mom and Luke after graduation for three weeks. I was fascinated by every word she said. Before I knew it, it was 11:45 and we had to head off to biology. We walked together – she was talking about everything and I was listening intently, guiding her around people because she clearly wasn't paying attention.

As we reached biology and took a seat at a table together (I guess we were officially lab partners!), I realized I felt something I hadn't felt in a while. Hope. Hope for me and Clary. That we could move forward.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a month since Clary and I became friends. And man, what an awesome month it had been. She was just about the best friend I'd ever had besides Alec. We spent every waking moment together. But we never pushed past friendship. It was the Thursday before a four day weekend, so the group was planning on taking a trip to my family's beach house. As usual, I met Clary outside of her art class at the end of the day and we walked back to our apartment complex together. It was a sunny and warm mid-September day. Clary was wearing black shorts, a white camisole, black flip flops and black aviator sunglasses that matched mine. Her hair was up in a high ponytail. She was gorgeous as usual and, as usual, I had to force myself not to look at her body. As we walked, she told me all about her newest piece, a painting of the Eiffel Tower modeled off a sketch she made of it while in Paris. She was so talented, I couldn't wait to see it!

"Jace!" I heard my name being called and turned around to see Camille, a girl in our bio class, waving to me.

"Hey Cam," I said. Clary looked at Cam like she wanted to murder her. Which made no sense. Maybe because we were in such a rush to get back so we could leave? I don't know. Cam was talking about something or another, but I was focused on Clary. "Listen Cam, I'm heading out of town. Let's talk when I get back, okay?" She nodded, kissed my cheek, and walked off. Clary and I were quiet after that, but she perked up a bit when she looked at Cam's disappointed face.

Before I knew it, we were in our hallway. "Okay, go finish packing and then come over. Izzy has at least four suitcases, so we need big strong man help!" Clary said, giggling. I smiled and nodded at her before entering my apartment. I grabbed my duffle bag, threw my phone charger and A Tale of Two Cities on to the top of it, zipped it up and left the room.

"Alec, I'm going next door. Come over whenever you are done forcing Magnus to fit his stuff in two suitcases!" I shouted into my brother's closed bedroom door before grabbing my phone and keys and leaving. I knocked on the girls' door and Izzy let me in.

"Hey Jace! Clary's ready. I'm almost ready. I'm just trying to figure out how many bikinis and dresses I need. Clary said four of each is enough, but what if it's not?" She was rambling, and I ignored her as I plopped down on the couch next to Clary and tossed my duffle bag onto the floor next to her small suitcase.

"Whatcha watching, Clare?" I asked.

"I don't know, honestly. I'm just trying to drown out the sounds of Hurricane Izzy," she replied. "Thank god you're here, she's been driving me insane since I walked in."

"We sat in silence watching the TV for about ten minutes before Magnus and Alec strolled in. About a minute after that, Izzy's boyfriend, Simon, a nerdy guy with dark hair and glasses, arrived. Izzy came out of the room with two suitcases. "Si, help me. I think I have too much stuff! There's two more in my room," she exclaimed, out of breath. Simon took one of the other two suitcases and I followed to grab the last one from Izzy's bed. I picked up the two duffle bags and the six of us walked downstairs. Izzy, Simon, Clary and I were going to go in my SUV while Magnus and Alec were going to go in Magnus' convertible. We loaded in the luggage, piled in, and then we were off. Clary was in front with me, and she was in charge of music, which was great since we had almost identical taste. Izzy and Simon, on the other hand, were in for a long drive!

We rolled down the windows and started singing along with the music. Izzy and Simon were in the backseat making out._ Gross, that's my sister. And he is practically defiling her in my car!_ Clary didn't notice, she was busy taking in the scenery. Then she grabbed her sketchbook out of her bag and started to draw the trees and nature that surrounded the highway. She had such a unique way of looking at things. Once, I saw a sketch she drew of an alley in Brooklyn. It was beautiful. I mean, it was an alley with dumpsters and rats, but she made it look good. I admired her for that.

The rest of the drive was silent other than our voices singing along with the music. Simon and Izzy fell asleep at some point, her head was resting on his shoulder and he had his arm wrapped protectively around her. When we finally pulled into the driveway of our house, Clary put her sketchbook away and jumped out. I woke up the lovebirds, which was not an easy task. They seemed to be too comfortable. Finally, we gathered up all the luggage and walked into the house. Clary had been here before with Izzy, but Simon's mouth was hanging open in surprise. The house was large. The first time Clary had seen it when we were kids, she started calling it The Mansion. It had eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, plus a pool house with another bedroom and bathroom. It was right on the beach and simply perfect. I always loved coming here.

"Si and I are taking my room. Alec and Mags are taking his. Jace, you get your room and show Clary to the guest room next door to you," Izzy directed, dragging Simon up the stairs behind her, with all their luggage in their hands. I looked at Clary, who was smiling.

"Come on Clare," I said, taking the duffle bag out of her hand and throwing it over my shoulder with mine. With my free hand, I grabbed one of hers and led her up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, there's a huge lounge and game room. To the left are Izzy and Alec's rooms. To the right are my room, Max's room, and a guest room. My parents room and the rest of the guest rooms are on the third floor. I dropped my bag down on my bed before going to the guest room.

"You know, I've never been in your room here before," Clary said distractedly. I knew she was taking in the white walls, white carpet, and general generic look of my room. I hate clutter, and this was only a guest house. The room is admittedly huge, with an attached bathroom and walk in closet. But it's plain. "It's nice… but plain. You need stuff on the walls," she added.

"I don't mind this look," I said as we walked out of my room to the room next door. It was a mirror image of my room, but it was tastefully decorated by Maryse. Clary brightened up and tossed her bag into the closet. Just as I was about to leave, Magnus and Alec come up the stairs, laughing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Please continue to review. I love hearing your thoughts, reactions, and suggestions! **

"Everyone, bathing suits, NOW. The pool is calling my name! Meet down there in five!" Magnus yelled. No one disagrees with Magnus, at least not if you value your life, so we all went into our various rooms to change.

A couple minutes later, there was a soft knock on my door. I opened it to see Clary standing in front of me. My eyes widened as I took her in. She was wearing an emerald green bikini that was lined with rhinestones. It was skimpy, but still very Clary. Her chest looked amazing and her red hair was extra vibrant. I couldn't get enough. Her cheeks turned red as she looked at me and I realized I was only wearing my black board shorts. She was kind of staring at me. "Yes, Clary? I know I'm beautiful, but you didn't come here just to ogle me, did you?" I asked, trying to seem calmer than I actually was.

"Do you, um, well, I need a towel and I couldn't remember where to find them," she squeaked. I went into my closet and grabbed two beach towels and the sunblock. I handed her a towel and led the way downstairs and out to the pool, my mind racing with thoughts of Clary in that bikini the entire time.

When we got to the pool, Izzy was tanning already while Simon, Alec and Magnus were doing dives into the pool. I sat down my stuff on one of the lounge chairs near Izzy and sat down in front of it, getting ready to put on sunscreen. Clary claimed the chair next to me. I applied the sunblock evenly, wanting to keep my pristine glow. Then I handed it to Clary. I pushed my sunglasses down from my head to cover my eyes as I watched her thickly apply the cream to her skin. She was pale, so she made sure every square inch was covered to prevent a burn. She was so hot – I felt myself harden just thinking about her. _Think of grandma. Think of Izzy. Think of Mom forcing you to enter a male beauty pageant when you were ten. _It wasn't working, so I moved the towel discretely over my lap. Izzy looked up from her magazine and laughed at me until I gave her a death stare.

"Um, Jace?" I heard Clary's voice and pulled my eyes from Izzy.

"Yeah, Clare?"

"Could you do my back? I can't reach it and I don't want to burn," she asked shyly. I nodded and she handed me the cream. I squirted a good amount onto my hand and rubbed it into her neck, back and shoulders, making sure to get all of her exposed skin. As I massaged it into her shoulders, I pretended that I didn't hear her quiet moan but I did. And it was driving me crazy. Too soon, I was done and Clary pulled away, grabbing her sketch book out of her bag and starting to draw, probably the beautiful beach that was in front of us. I laid back, making sure the towel was still on my lap, and watched the other guys play water basketball. A few minutes later, when I was "under control" again, I jumped in a joined them.

The next time I looked up, I saw a man sitting on my chair, talking to Izzy and Clary. It was Jem, whose parents owned the house next door. He was always a nice enough guy, but I knew he had recently been dumped by his on and off again girlfriend, Tessa. And there he was, making Clary laugh and trying to steal her sketchbook. _Flirting. They were flirting._ Jem was a good looking guy too, with sharp features and silver hair. I couldn't watch anymore so I climbed out of the pool, walking over to my chair.

"Hey, Jace!" Jem actually seemed happy to see me. And I admit, I probably would have been happy to see him if he wasn't currently trying to get Clary's attention.

"Hey Jem. Listen man, you're on my towel. I'm not feeling too great, and I want to go inside. Mind giving my the towel and my sunglasses?" I was completely avoiding Izzy and Clary's gazes, which I knew were directed at me. Jem handed me my things and I mumbled a goodbye before walking into the house. I walked upstairs and changed into a pair of basketball shorts. Leaving my chest bare, I walked to the formal living room and sat down in front of the piano. Whenever I am really upset, or need to be distracted, I play. Unfortunately, at my apartment I only have a keyboard, the baby grand here at the beach house was much better. So I sat and started playing whatever came to mind. I got lost in the music, the world around me drifted away.

I was snapped back to reality when I heard a soft sigh coming from the entrance to the living room. I turned around, and saw Clary standing there. Her hair was wet and hanging down well past her shoulders. She had a towel wrapped around her. When her eyes met mine, she looked a bit panicked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I was going upstairs and then I heard you playing and it sucked me in. I didn't know you played!" I guess she thought I would be mad.

"I have since I was six," I replied, still looking at her eyes.

"You're amazing! I mean, I can play a little, but nothing like that!" She complimented me, smiling.

"Thanks." I was never good with getting compliments and I didn't really know what to say. "So, where's Jem? You two looked like you were really hitting it off!" I was trying to seem impassive, even though the thought ate me up inside.

She shifted uncomfortably. "He's nice. He, uh, he asked me to go to dinner with him tonight." I paled. It was happening. Once again she was going to choose someone better than me. Someone else would be able to love her.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I said I couldn't. I felt bad, but he really isn't my type." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. _Thank god!_ Wanting to get the subject, I asked her if she wanted to play. She came and sat down next to me on the piano bench. The towel pooled around her waist, once again showing off her chest in that amazing bikini. I tried to ignore her body as I listened to her play. Then, I joined in. It was magic. We complemented each other so well, it really sounded heavenly. I was lost in the music again.

She stopped playing, and then I did. We just sat there, looking at each other. Her gaze fell from my eyes to my lips and I sucked in a deep breath. We unconsciously moved closer to each other so that our bodies were touching. I raised my hand slowly to wipe a few loose strands of hair from her forehead and she sighed. My hand rested on her cheek and she leaned into it. Before I knew what she was doing, she wrapped her hands around my neck and pulled me down until our lips brushed against each other. This kiss was different from our last one. That one was all want and urgency, this one was soft and loving. I smiled against her lips and she pulled away gently.

"Well, that was… unexpected," she said softly. She didn't run away this time, though, which was good. I laughed.

"And amazing," I whispered, still smiling. She nodded and grabbed my hand in hers. She leaned in again. The fireworks went off again as our lips met. I slid my tongue along her lips and she granted me entrance right away. I pulled her onto my lap so that she was straddling me. My hands skimmed her body and I nibbled on her bottom. It felt amazing. Amazing and natural. I never wanted it to end.

"Hey guys, we're gonna go get…" Izzy cut herself off when she spotted us in our compromising position. "Some pizza," she finished, clearly in shock. Clary pulled her lips from mine reluctantly.

"Would you mind if we stayed here, Iz?" She was smiling. _Her smile could light the entire world. She's so perfect!_

"No, not at all," Izzy said, trying to withhold a squeal. "We'll uh, bring back a pizza for you guys. What do you want on it?"

"Pepperoni," we both announced simultaneously. Then we started laughing. Izzy rolled her eyes, shouted for the guys to wait for her as she ran to catch up with them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I will be changing the rating of this story to M. The story will not revolve around sex, but there will probably be a lemony scene or two - the chemistry between Clary and Jace just requires sexy scenes! **

**Please keep reviewing, it means the world to me that you all like the story so far. If you have suggestions or thoughts, let me know! THANK YOU! **

We were alone. Finally. And we had so much to _discuss_. Plus, I really wanted to kiss her again. I motioned for her to stand up and I followed her. I held her hand securely in mine and we walked upstairs slowly, both distracted by our thoughts. I pulled her into my room before she had the chance to escape and closed and locked the door behind us. She sat on my bed. "You want some clothes?" I asked. She nodded. I dug into my drawers and found a tee shirt and some sweatpants that I grew out of a while back. She threw them on and removed the bikini, tossing into a pile on the floor with the towels. They were too big, of course, since she's tiny, but they were definitely more comfortable.

"Thanks," she said, sitting back down.

"You're welcome." I grabbed a tee shirt and threw it over my bare chest. Then I sat down on the bed, facing her. "Sooooo," I started.

"I don't want a relationship with you," she blurted out. She must have seen the look of sheer pain on my face because she quickly added "I like you. I like you soooo much that sometimes it physically hurts. But I'm not ready. And it's awful and totally not fair to you that I feel that way. But it's how I feel. I want to kiss you, I want to hold your hand, I want to explore whatever this is, but I am not ready to give my heart to you and be your girlfriend."

"Clary, I'm yours," I began. A look of relief flickered through her sparkling eyes, so I continued. "I always have been. I haven't so much as held hands with another girl since the day you moved in next door. It makes me physically ill when I think about how you think of me, I want to change for you. I will be whatever you want me to be, Clary. I just want you. So if you don't want a boyfriend right now, I'll be a friend until you give me the okay."

She smiled and crawled over to me until she was straddling me again. "That doesn't mean that I don't want _this_ you know," she whispered seductively in my ear. I shivered. She nibbled on my ear until I moaned quietly. She kissed, sucked, and licked from my ear, down my jaw, to my neck. It was heaven. One of my hands was on her ass, the other was in her hair. She sucked my neck so hard that I knew I would have a mark, and I didn't even care. I was so far gone! I pulled her face back up to mine and hungrily slammed my lips to hers. She moaned, clearly enjoying herself. My tongue forced its way into her mouth and before long, our tongues were wrestling. Clary was grinding against me. I don't even think she knew what she was doing, but it was turning me on. So much. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't stop.

Her hands slipped under my shirt and she glided them up and down my abs. I broke us apart long enough to quickly take my shirt off. As our lips met again, her hands started teasing my nipples. No woman had ever done that before. My hands snuck under her shirt, making their way up to her unrestrained breasts. She moaned and arched her back as I teased and rubbed her nipples like she had done to me. I pulled the shirt over her head, separating from her just long enough to get it off of her before our lips were locked in another embrace. The feel of her naked chest on mine made me painfully hard. I wanted her. I _needed_ her.

I flipped over so that she was laying on the bed and rested in between her legs. Just as I was about to slide my hand into her sweatpants, I heard Alec screaming, "Pizza delivery!" We broke apart, both trying to catch our breath. I handed her her shirt and put mine on. "So, what do we tell them… this…. is? Clary asked, still trying to slow her heartbeat.

"We tell them nothing. We just do what feels natural and everything will fall into place," I said, hoping it was true. We ran down the stairs and met the rest of the gang in the kitchen.

"Clary, please tell me you aren't wearing my brother's clothes?! Why the fuck are you wearing my brother's clothes?" Izzy screamed at Clary. Clary's cheeks turned bright red and my hand held hers tightly. She looked at me with scared green eyes.

"Clary and I are dating," I said confidently, as if it was an obvious fact. _I can't believe I just did that, even after we decided not to say anything! _I met her eyes and gave her a look that said _"Trust me"_ so she relaxed. Izzy began to rant to us while she engulfed us in a hug.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god! Claryyyyyy, how did you not tell me?" Izzy was jumping up and down and mumbling about planning our wedding, totally ignoring any answer Clary was going to give. She grabbed Simon's hand and dragged him behind her. "We're going to sleep. See ya tomorrow. Clary, be safe. Use protection. You too Alec!" With that, she was gone. Thank god. Alec and Magnus excused themselves more gracefully, saying they were going to watch a movie and go to sleep. It was already 9 pm.

As soon as we were alone, Clary turned to face me. "What was that, Jace, now they think we're dating!"

"I know, so now I won't have to explain why it's okay for me to do this," I said, leaning down to kiss the spot where her shoulder and her neck meet. She sighed and moved closer to me, smiling.

"Okay," she mumbled. "I'm definitely okay with that."

"Good, lets go watch a movie upstairs!" We took the pizza box and some soda cans and ventured upstairs. I never let go of her hand. It felt natural to be connected to her in some way. We walked up the stairs to the lounge, noticing Alec and Izzy must be in their bedrooms with their significant others. Clary plopped down on the large microfiber sectional while I walked over to the cabinet. "What do you want to watch?" I asked.

"Um, something scary!" she said loudly.

I chose a random movie out of the "horror" category, put it in the Blu-ray player, and sat down next to Clary. She had her knees tucked under her and was resting her head on my shoulder. I noticed her shiver a little, so I reached behind me, grabbed a throw blanket, and gently placed it over her small frame. "Thanks," she whispered. We ate in silence as we watched. I could tell the movie scared her because she would periodically squeeze my hand or my arm. She also let out little yelping noises. It was adorable. After the movie, I put on Pitch Perfect, which I know is Clary's favorite. We snuggled back together.

An hour into the movie, Clary's breathing slowed and I could tell she fell asleep. I picked her up and carried her sleeping body to my bedroom. I gently placed her on the bed and pulled the covers up to her neck. After placing a kiss on her forehead, I went out to the lounge to clean up the mess we made. Once everything was in order, I decided to go to sleep as well. I knew Izzy had something planned for us tomorrow. I walked into the dark room as silently as possible hoping not to wake Clary.

As I took my shirt off and got into bed next to Clary, I heard a faint, "Jace" fall from her lips. At first I thought that I had woken her, but she was still peacefully sleeping. I tried to relax and fall asleep, satisfied that she was dreaming about me. Then she whimpered and said, "I love you, Jace." I pulled her close to me and wrapped my arm around her. Then I fell into a blissful sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Please keep reviewing! I love hearing from you guys! **

It was Sunday, the last full day of our trip. We were leaving tomorrow to go back to campus. The last few days had been amazing. Clary and I had gotten closer than I ever thought was possible for us. But we're still "friends" – even though our friends thought we are dating. And, well, we basically were. We went out alone, kissed, cuddled, slept in the same bed, and ignored every other person around. And I was thrilled. Now, I just needed her to accept the fact that she was my _girlfriend _rather than my _girl friend_. But I was patient.

We spent the entire day at the beach, splashing in the water. Clary wore a teal bikini, and I swear I came so close to devouring her right there in the sand. We built a sand castle and worked on our tans. Then Alec, Simon, and I grilled up some burgers and hot dogs for dinner. Overall, it was a great day. While we were eating, Izzy said, "So, there's this club about a few blocks away. It's supposed to be awesome, and its open late tonight for the holiday. So I say we go tonight!" We all agreed that it sounded fun. After hanging out for a while, we went our separate ways to get ready to go. Izzy stole Clary away and, for the first time in days, I was away from her for more than 10 minutes. It was painful. But I dressed in dark jeans and a black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I slid on my black Chucks and ran my fingers through my hair. Then I went downstairs with the guys to wait for Izzy and Clary.

As we were chatting, Izzy came down the stairs. She was wearing a cut off shirt with a deep vee neckline and short white shorts. She was showing wayyyy too much skin. Alec and I immediately tensed. "You are NOT wearing that Iz," Alec said.

"Yes, I am. You two are crazy if you think I'm changing out of this hot outfit!" she yelled as she climbed onto Simon's lap. "I look good, right Si?" she asked, seeing his open mouth. Magnus just smiled. We both saw the determination on her face and it wasn't worth it.

Suddenly, Clary was coming down the stairs, stumbling in her high heels. I think my heart stopped. She was wearing a tiny, black, sequined dress. She literally sparkled in the light. It was strapless and obscenely short. Her beautiful red hair was flowing loose and she was wearing black heels. "Hey there," she said, smiling.

"Hi," I said, trying to catch my breath. "You look beautiful!"

"Alright folks, enough of this, I need to dance with my studly boyfriend!" Magnus yelled as he opened the front door, leading us to the club. Luckily, it was close enough to walk. Clary and I fell behind because of her heels, until I finally hoisted her onto my back and gave her a piggy back ride to the club.

When we got in the club, we went to the bar to get a drink. Izzy dragged Simon to the dance floor immediately and Alec and Magnus were making out in some corner. After downing some liquid courage, I pulled Clary to the dance floor. Her back was to my chest as we rocked to the music, completely lost in each other. When we finally went to find a table, we ended up sitting next to Jem, his sister Sophie, and some of their friends – they happened to be there that night. Clary whispered in my ear that she was going to the bathroom and she left.

Sophie was sitting next to me, and we were talking about our first semesters of college so far. She was going to Yale, and was home for the holiday weekend. We always flirted a bit, she was a really nice girl. If I wasn't so in love with Clary for my entire life, she would have been a great girlfriend. Suddenly, the topic of conversation changed. "So, are you and the redhead, like, dating?" she asked innocently.

I really didn't know how to answer that. "Um, technically, no, but..." I couldn't even finish my sentence. She smiled before turning around and kissing me. _God, why couldn't I say we were dating? Sophie's nice but not Clary!_

Before I even knew what happened, Clary was pulling Sophie away from me by her hair. "You bitch, that's _my _boyfriend!" She slapped Sophie before grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the club. I was stunned. _What the hell just happened?_ We walked back to the house in silence, never letting go of each other's hands.

When we finally got home, Clary stomped upstairs and went into my bedroom. Of course, I followed her. She sat on the bed, slipping her shoes off and rubbing her feet. I knew I needed to ask something.

"Clary, what was that, at the club I mean? You called me your boyfriend!" I couldn't help that my voice was raised.

She just stared at me. And stared. And stared some more. I have to admit, I was fidgeting uncomfortably. I mean, her eyes never left mine. It was probably five minutes, but it felt like an hour. Then she closed her eyes.

"I don't know what happened. One minute, I was having fun and the next, as soon as I saw her with her grubby paws all over you, I was seeing red. I didn't think, I just acted. I don't know what came over me."

I smiled. "You were jealous," I teased. She glared at me.

"No, I wasn't… okay, maybe I was? So?" I started laughing. Probably not the best move in this situation, but I couldn't help it. Her face was scrunched up and turning red – it was absolutely adorable. She frowned. I decided maybe I should be serious before she decided to murder me.

"So, does that mean you want all this," I said, gesturing to my body, "to yourself? Cause I don't do exclusive unless the words "girlfriend" and "relationship" are involved!"

"No, no, no. We can't do this anymore at all. I can't handle this. How do I know you won't kiss Sophie or Cam or some other slut even if we are in a "relationship?" I was shocked and she was crying.

"You know what Clary. I'm done. I can't be playing this game with you! You're so scared of feeling something that you'd rather be miserable. Well, congrats. You got your wish. We aren't dating and I'm miserable." I yelled at her. Then she walked out. She just walked out. And I decided right then and there that I wouldn't play her games anymore. Until she finally got it through her head that I loved her, I was going to just be her friend. Nothing else. This up and down was driving me crazy. I swear, I was getting whiplash. I just couldn't do it anymore. It was over - at least for now.


	9. Chapter 9

The drive back to the city was awkward. Alec and Magnus weren't leaving until Tuesday since Alec didn't have class until Wednesday and Magnus was off of work until then. So, once again it was me, Clary, Izzy and Simon in the car going home. Clary hadn't so much as looked at me since she walked out, and I didn't attempt to change that. I was so angry, I mean really. She gets jealous of me kissing another girl, but she's okay with stringing me along? Not okay. Jace fucking Lightwood never let a girl control him like that. It wasn't going to start with Clary. Nope.

"So, this isn't awkward or anything…" Izzy said lazily. Clary glared at her, but I didn't even respond. Instead, I gripped the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles were turning white. Simon grabbed Izzy's hand and all was quiet once again. Clary spent the drive staring out the window, which was fine with me.

When we got back to our building, I grabbed my bag and ran up the stairs to my apartment, not even waiting for the others. I had the place to myself until the next day, so I laid on the couch and watched TV ignoring the knocking on my door that was most likely Izzy.

I was on autopilot for the entire week. I went to class, where I had no choice but to see Clary, and did my work. I went to soccer practice and took out all of my aggression there. Thank god I had that outlet. Kicking the ball became therapy for me. I rocked the games we had too. After that week, I forced myself to get back to my regular routine of school, soccer, and fun.

Clary and I talked, kind of. I mean, it was super awkward, but we were friends, I guess. We didn't hang out alone anymore, but we were polite enough in a group. Usually, I just pretended she wasn't there. I wasn't about to give up hanging out with my friends and siblings because of Clary and her irrational fear.

In fact, tonight our friend Maria was throwing a party. I knew Clary was going to be there, but so were a ton of other people that I knew. I wasn't going to miss out because of her. I was walking home from soccer practice when I ran into Jessie, a girl in my pre-law classes. She was a nice girl, and we got along pretty well. She was good looking too, with her dark, wavy hair and pale features. So, naturally, I turned my flirt on. "Hey Jess," I said, smirking.

She smiled. "Jace! You going to the party tonight?" I knew she wanted me to ask her to be my date. And why not? I had to get over Clary eventually, since clearly that wasn't going to happen.

"Yep! I actually wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with me."

Her already beautiful smile widened. "Yeah, that sounds great!"

"Okay. Well, I live in Maria's building. You know where that is, right?" She nodded, so I continued. "How about you meet me at my apartment at 9? I live in 306."

"Sounds good! See you later Jace!" She kissed me on the cheek and walked away. Satisfied that I was finally starting to move on, I made my way to my apartment. Alec had class, but I knew Magnus was probably home. When I walked in, Izzy and Clary were sitting on Magnus and Alec's bed, and the bedroom door was open.

"Hey Jace!" Izzy exclaimed. I waved silently and went to my room. I could hear bits and pieces of the conversation occurring in the room next to mine.

"…Jace… going to move on… something," that was Izzy.

"I know Iz… messed up… fix it…" and that was definitely Clary. I wonder what she did, but only in passing. I decided to catch up on my reading for lit before I got ready for the party. I got lost in Charles Dickens' world and, by the time I looked up, it was 8:30.

I jumped in the shower quickly. As soon as I got out, I put on some nice black pants, a tight grey tee shirt, and black shoes. I combed my fingers through my hair and sprayed some cologne on. I think I looked pretty good. It was almost 9, so I just waited for a knock on the door. When I heard the knock, I ran from my room to get it first, but Izzy beat my to it.

"Hi," Izzy said casually to Jessie. Jessie smiled.

"Hey, I'm Jessie, I'm here to see Jace!" She was almost too nice for her own good. I joined them at the door.

"Hey, Jess. Come on in. That's Izzy, my sister. And that's Clary, her roommate. My roommate Magnus is around here somewhere too. Give me two minutes and we can go. You can sit wherever." She sat on the couch across from Clary, who was staring at her without shame. Izzy joined Clary on the couch and made some small talk with Jessie. Clary just sat there, staring. Wanting to save Jessie from the "Clary stare," which I knew firsthand was awful, I rushed to grab my phone and wallet and wandered back to the living room.

"You ready, Jess?" I asked. She nodded and jumped up. "Let's go!" We walked upstairs to Maria's apartment and I introduced her to Alec and Magnus, who had joined him. My friends Jonathan and Jordan from the soccer team were there, and a few of Jessie's girlfriends joined us. For some reason, I couldn't stop looking at the front door. I don't know why, but I couldn't help it. Jessie was sitting on my lap, sipping her drink and talking to her friend.

When the door next opened I realized what I had been waiting for. Clary walked in wearing a green strapless shirt with white short shorts and white heels. Her makeup was dark and mysterious. She looked amazing. I sucked in a breath. Izzy followed behind her, running to meet Simon as soon as she saw him. Clary spotted Magnus, who was standing near me, and ran over to him, hugging him tightly.

"Darling, you look amazing!" Magnus said to her. I silently agreed. He pulled her to the dance floor, his glitter falling onto her. My eyes couldn't stay off of her. I guess Jessie noticed.

"Jace, who is she?" she asked calmly.

"Who is who, Jess?" I finally tore my eyes from Clary to meet Jessie's.

"The redhead, Clary. Who is she to you?" she said.

"Clary? She's a friend. She lives with my sister," I tried to speak as calmly as possible.

"Well, I think you like her. Maybe you should ask her to dance. You've been watching her all night."

I was kind of surprised by that suggestion. "I'm here with you, Jessie." She nodded.

"Yeah, but you want to be with her. So I'm going to hang out with Jonathan. Have fun with Clary." She kissed me on the cheek and walked away. I saw her hugging Jon tightly as he kissed her cheek. I felt Clary's eyes on me as the scene unfolded. I was alone, with Clary staring at me. Now what was I supposed to do?


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: The creative juices are flowing - I wrote three chapters in one night! Anyhow, I hope you enjoy. Don't forget to review! **

I decided to leave the party. When I left, Izzy was dancing with Simon. Jessie was whispering something in Jon's ear. Clary was dancing in between Alec and Magnus, laughing and having fun. I was not having any fun. So I said goodbye to the hostess and went downstairs alone. I threw on a tee shirt and some sweatpants and put a frozen pizza into the oven. I grabbed a beer out of the fridge and put in a movie. Naturally, I decided to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, my go to movie. I figured it was early enough that I could watch parts one and two before I went to bed.

Before the pizza was done cooking, there was a knock at the door. I answered it, figuring it was my brother, who probably forgot his key, again. Imagine my surprise when a short redhead walked through the door.

"Hi Jace! How are you! Why are you down here by yourself? You didn't like the party? Did you bring that pretty girl back with you? She seems nice! You were having sex, weren't you? Oh, no. I'm sorry, I can leave. I don't know how to get to my apartment. Jace, you're so pretty!" Okay, clearly she was drunk.

"Clary, how much did you drink?"

"Enough to forget that you were with that girl and not me. Enough to not care. I don't know! I was having fun. Then I missed you and wanted to visit. You aren't happy to see me?" She seemed disappointed at this thought, and her adorable frown appeared.

"No Clare, I'm always happy to see you. Jessie is still at the party, she decided she was gonna hang out with Jonathan. There's pizza in the oven, you hungry?" At that, she perked up immediately.

"Starving!" she exclaimed as she slipped her heels off and tossed them into a corner. I led her to the couch and sat her down. "Clothes. I need comfy clothes," she added, staring at the movie paused on my screen. I went to my bedroom and took out a tee shirt for her. Then I ran to the kitchen, took the pizza out to cool, and got her a glass of water. I set the water on the coffee table and handed her the tee.

To my shock, she stood up and pulled her shirt over her head. She wasn't wearing a bra. Her perfect, perky breasts were exposed. Before I could even react to this, she shimmied out of her shorts. Then she was standing before me in just a white lace thong. _Oh my god. _She smirked at me. Instead of putting the shirt on, she pushed me onto the couch and straddled me.

She started kissing my neck and grinding against me. I sat there, frozen. I couldn't touch her, it would have been so wrong. But I couldn't stop her either. It was too good. Her hands were on her chest as she kneaded her breasts and rubbed her erect nipples between her fingers. Her core was grinding against my member through my sweatpants. I was painfully hard. But I still couldn't move. Then her hand slid under my sweatpants. Her hand grazed up and down my cock, making me moan.

"_Jace_, Jace, I want you. I need you!" She was mumbling as she kissed my neck and jaw line. She was making me so hot, her hand still moving up and down. Eventually, I came to my senses and realized how wrong it was. She was drunk. She'd never act like this sober. I couldn't take advantage of her. I pushed her away.

"Clary, you're drunk. I can't let you do this!" She looked so sad and rejected that it almost made me change my mind. "I promise Clare, if you still want to do this when you're sober, I will gladly participate." With that, she smiled and leaned over to kiss my lips. I handed her the shirt again, and this time she slipped it onto her body.

I was in pain, so I excused myself for a minute to "take care of the problem." After a few minutes replaying what just happened and settling for the comfort of my hand, I came out to slice the pizza. Clary was curled in a ball, watching the movie through glassy eyes. I handed her a plate with two slices of pizza on it. "Eat," I begged her. "You'll feel better."

She smiled her brilliant smile, and took the plate. She began eating messily, periodically taking a break to drink her water. I ate next to her, enjoying the movie and her silent company. I could tell she was starting to sober up a bit as time went by. She relaxed into the couch when she finished eating. Finally, part 1 ended. Clary's eyes were drooping closed, so I figured it was time to go to bed. So I picked her up and carried her bridal style to my bedroom. Alec and Magnus still weren't home, but I locked the door behind us so they wouldn't storm in drunk when they arrived. I placed her gently on my bed, her red hair spread across the pillow. Then I took my shirt off, turned off the light, and climbed in next to her. Already asleep, she curled into me, placing her head on my chest.

The morning came far too quickly. As the sun shined through the window, I opened my eyes. Clary was sleeping peacefully with a small smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile, remembering last night. I placed my hand gently on her cheek, rubbing it softly. Her smile widened and she stretched slightly, leaning her body even closer to me. Her eyes started to flutter open. Then I saw her emerald eyes, wide and bright. "Morning, sleepy head!" I said, probably too loudly. She winced.

"Not. So. Loud. My head is going to explode," she mumbled. I sat up and handed her the glass of water from beside my bed. Then I dug into my drawer and found the ibuprofen, handing her a couple of pills. She sighed and took the pills. "Thanks," she finally said.

"So, you don't seem surprised to see yourself here, in my bed," I said, trying to keep my voice neutral.

"Well, by then end of the night, I was semi-sober. I remember watching Harry Potter and you carrying me to bed," she smiled at me. "Thanks, for not letting me do anything stupid," she added.

"Well, you did nearly sexually assault me when you first arrived," I said, teasing her.

She grimaced. "Crap, I was hoping that DIDN'T happen. I am so sorry!"

I smiled, "Don't be, I can't say I didn't enjoy it!"

"Sooooo," she started. "How's that girl, the one you clearly didn't sleep with? Disappointed?" I couldn't help but hear the happiness in her voice at the very thought.

"Actually, Jessie and I decided we were better as friends. I have my eyes on another girl. She's been difficult about dating me, but I have a feeling she'll come around."

"Oh yeah," she said, laughing. "You seem pretty positive about that!" I scooted closer to her.

"I am. See, she threw herself at me. And then she spent the night in my bed. And she didn't even run away in the morning!" Now I was laughing too. She moved to slap me on the shoulder playfully, but I grabbed her hand, kissing it. She sighed and I moved in until our lips met. And the firecrackers and sparks were there once again. Everything felt right once again. We had so much to talk about, but for right now I just wanted to kiss her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Sorry for the belated update... I am a law student and my summer job has been pretty crazy this week with a big trial. But I'm back! Please keep reviewing. Thanks! **

After about ten minutes of kissing, I reluctantly pulled back from Clary. We seriously needed to talk. I was sick of the games and the back and forth. I wasn't going to put myself in the position of being her "friend" again.

"Clary," I whispered as I sat up in the bed. She looked at me with bright eyes and sat up, turning her body to face me. "Time to talk," I added.

"I realized something last night, Jace," Clary started before I could even finish what I wanted to say. "I don't want to be fighting with you. I don't want it to be awkward. And most of all I don't want to be just friends with you. I love you. And I know you can't promise that you won't hurt me, but I can't promise I won't hurt you, either. I'm willing to take the risk. If you're still interested, of course."

I smiled and pulled her onto my lap. She was smiling, too, and her green eyes were sparkling. "Took you long enough!" I exclaimed before leaning down to kiss her again. She sighed and moved even further onto my lap, deepening the kiss. My hands began to wander her body and hers went to my hair, tugging. I laid back in the bed, pulling her on top of me. Our bodies were against each other and it felt so right.

"So," I said, momentarily pulling back from the kiss. "I should probably tell you. I love you, _girlfriend_."

"I love you too, _boyfriend_," she said before meeting my lips with hers once again. As the passion grew, her hands wandered under my shirt. I flipped us over so that I was on top of her, moving us impossibly closer. Before we could go any further, there was a knock on my bedroom door.

"I'm going to kill them. I hope you don't love whoever is on the other side of that door, Jace, cause I'm gonna kill them, sibling or not…" Clary mumbled as I went to answer the door. She sat up in the bed and straightened up her hair. Laughing, I finally opened the door. Izzy was on the other side, looking like she hadn't slept.

"Jace, I can't find Clary. She was super drunk at the party and she disappeared and I'm afraid she went home with some random dude. Help!" She was panicked and talking so fast that I didn't have a chance to interrupt her. Alec was standing behind her, trying to wake up. Clearly, she had banged on the door at some point and woke him up to let her in. I can't believe we didn't hear it. Then again, we were a bit… preoccupied this morning. I heard snoring coming from the other bedroom, so I knew Magnus was still asleep. Before I could respond to my sister, Clary got out of bed and stood next to me, still in the tee I gave her.

"Iz, I was here. Everything's fine," she said, her cheeks tinged slightly red. Izzy pushed past me and pulled Clary into a tight hug.

"I'm so relieved that you're alive that I'm not even going to try to kill you right now!" she said, smiling. "Don't worry, I will later!" Clary just giggled, hugging her back.

"Come on, I'll make pancakes!" Clary announced, trying to distract Izzy.

"Thank god you're here, Clary. Jace and I would be hung over AND starving since Magnus is still passed out!" Alec mentioned, laughing. We are almost as bad at cooking as Izzy. I blame our mother for never teaching us her skills. He and I sat on the two sofas, Izzy plopped down on a bar stool at the breakfast bar, and Clary went into the kitchen, gathering the necessary ingredients.

"Soooo," Izzy started. "Now that I know that you're alive, I have to ask. Why the hell did you disappear on me?!"

Clary grimaced. "Well, I got super drunk and apparently I found my way over here. Jace took care of me."

"Does that mean you guys are back together? I mean, you aren't the type to do the down and dirty without getting back together!" Clary blushed, again.

It was my turn to give Izzy a dirty look. "I wouldn't 'do the down and dirty' with drunk Clary, Iz. How little you think of me! We watched Harry Potter and fell asleep. That's it." Izzy smiled at me, silently making peace for basically calling me a pig.

"But yes, Iz, we are back together," Clary said, smiling as she mixed the pancake mix. I guess that was easier than explaining what actually happened between us to my crazy sister. Izzy squealed and ran to hug Clary before coming over to hug me. She was mumbling to herself about planning our wedding and I definitely heard something about blonde, green eyed nieces to dress up. I swear, sometimes I want to kill her. Luckily, Magnus woke up and came into the living room in his "Legally Blonde" boxers. Lets just say seeing him with a pink-suit clad Reese Witherspoon on his crotch was distracting enough to change the subject.

Izzy called Simon over. He and his roommates Maia and Jordan live in the building next door, so he was there before the pancakes were even finished. The six of us gathered in our small living area, eating pancakes and drinking coffee. Then we decided to have a game day. We all gathered around the coffee table to play board games. It was pouring outside, so I was glad to not have to leave. After a few hours, Izzy and Simon went back to Izzy's apartment to do whatever it is the two of them do. Honestly, I try not to think about it. Alec had to study for a test and Magnus had to go to work. Soon enough it was just Clary and I.

"Well, I'm going to run home and take a quick shower," she randomly announced.

"Can I join you?" I asked, smirking.

"In your dreams!" she joked.

"Yes, it is!" I winked at her as she slapped me playfully on the shoulder. With a peck on the lips, she got up and left. It was just me, so I decided to clean up and then take a shower. Clary got back just as I was getting dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a tee shirt. She was wearing short athletic shorts and a tank top. Her wet hair was hanging free, the curls just starting to form again.

"Honey, I'm home!" she yelled as she came into my room, not bothering to knock.

"Hoping I'd still be in the nude, Red? That's a bit pathetic, don't you think?" I smiled at her and pulled her closer to me. She just laughed as her body melted into mine. I kissed her, running my tongue along her lips. She released a low moan, which I copied. We settled into my bed and decided to watch some movies. Then we worked on a little bit of homework (aka five minutes of reading followed by ten minutes of making out – over and over again). It was great. Since it was Sunday, we had class the next day, so we curled up together and fell asleep. I smiled as I realized that this was happiest and most at peace I had felt in my life. It was so normal, and natural, and comfortable.


	12. Chapter 12

I awoke to the sound of an alarm going off. Cursing under my breath, I turned it off. Then I realized Clary was here, in my arms, sleeping like an angel. She looked so peaceful with her red hair splayed across her pillow and her body wrapped into mine. We were spooning. Wow, I never spooned before Clary. This was different. And I liked it. I liked it a lot. Smiling to myself, I snuggled back into her, tightening my arm around her waist.

A few minutes later, I felt her stir. She turned in my arms and her hand rested gently on my cheek. I decided I should probably open my eyes. When I did, I saw her green eyes staring into mine. I couldn't help the smile that landed on my face as I remember that she's mine. She leaned closer and kissed my lips lightly.

"We should probably get up. We have to get to Starkweather's class. If we miss it he won't be happy," she said in my ear. Her warm breath bathed my neck as she spoke and I couldn't help the shiver that went through my body.

"But we could have so much more fun here…" I whined, kissing her neck.

"I know, trust me, I know," she sighed. "But we have to."

Before I could say anything else, she crawled out from my arms and told me to pick her up in 45 minutes to walk to class. I quickly got ready and left my apartment. Before I could knock on Clary's door, my sister opened the door.

"Hey Iz, where's the thunder?" I asked her. She ran out, claiming to be running late for class. Unconcerned about whatever that was, I walked into my girlfriend's apartment. Clary was in her room, slipping on a pair of skin tight jeans. I walked up behind her and wrapped by arms around her waist, resting my head on her shoulder. She leaned into me.

"Hey babe," I whispered to her. She turned in my arms and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Babe?" she asked.

"What, you don't like pet names?" I asked innocently. She just giggled and kissed me. Immediately, I responded, bringing one hand to the back of her head and pushing her closer to me. This time, though, I decided to be the responsible one and pulled back, reminding her that we needed to leave.

She slipped on her shoes and I grabbed her bag for her. Then we were out. We held hands as we walked to campus, talking about everything. I decided to ask her out on an official date just as we were walking into class. She agreed to dinner after my soccer practice, which made my day. I was so excited that I spent the rest of the day distracted. During our break after English lit, I finished up some work for one of my classes that afternoon while she sketched. We were outside on the lawn, basking in the sunlight. It was nice.

"Watcha drawing?" I asked her when I noticed how engrossed in her art she was.

She hesitated. "Um, well…" I leaned over and saw my face staring back at me. There I was, in all my glory. Complete with angel wings and all. My heart clenched when I saw it.

"So, now I know how you really feel about me!" I teased her, but in reality I was unbelievably happy. She blushed and I just pulled her to me, kissing her tenderly. I rubbed her cheek with my hand and pushed her hair back from her forehead. She put her sketch pad down on her bag and shifted her body so she was facing me, leaning into me. Her tongue ran across my lips and I opened my mouth to her. We fought for control and I won, bringing her closer to me and deepening the kiss. I forgot where I was, who I was, everything besides Clary. Someone cleared their throat above our heads. We pulled apart to see Magnus standing over us, smiling.

"Hello, lovebirds. Mind if I join the party? Although snuggle-pants has class, so I will refrain from joining in the kissing!" I'm sure Alec would die if he heard himself being referred to as "snuggle-pants" but I thought it was hysterical.

"Sure Mags," Clary said, gesturing for him to sit. "So, what are you doing here in the middle of the day?" Magnus is a fashion designer, he has his own line and sells it at several department stores in town. He's actually really popular and is currently negotiating a deal with Macy's to sell his stuff. He's a bit of a workaholic.

"Well, my darling boyfriend asked me to pick him up after class so he could join me at this afternoon's meeting with Macy's. You know, after he graduates in the Spring, he is going to be my business manager. So he just wants to get a head start. His class is over in a few minutes, but I saw your flaming hair and decided to come ruin your fun," Magnus answered, winking at me. We chatted for a few minutes before Alec came and dragged Magnus away for the meeting. Clary and I continued doing what we had been interrupted doing until it was time for class. The rest of the day was a blur.

After soccer practice, I walked home with a couple guys from the team that lived nearby. On the way, I stopped at the store and picked up a bouquet of roses. I was picking Clary up for our dinner date in an hour, so I luckily had time to shower and clean up a bit beforehand.

At 7 pm on the dot, I walked next door and knocked on Clary's door. She opened it almost immediately. As usual, she looked amazing. She was wearing a simple blue sundress, a sweater, and sandals. "Hello beautiful," I said, kissing her on the cheek and handing her the flowers.

She smiled widely. "Hi, handsome!" She opened the door wider so I could come in. I sat on a stool as she hunted down a vase for her flowers, humming to herself. She hums when she is nervous, another cute habit of hers. I couldn't believe she was nervous. I mean, we were already dating; she didn't need to impress me. But I was nervous too, so I guess it was okay. When she was done fiddling with the flowers, we left.

"Is Taki's okay?" I asked as we reached my car. She nodded as I opened the passenger door for her. After that, we both relaxed. I think we both realized that the other was nervous, which was oddly comforting. We enjoyed dinner. The conversation flowed naturally and we talked about school, our friends, our families, everything. It was easy with Clary. She wasn't like any girl I'd ever dated. To start with, she ate – in fact, she ate a lot. I have no clue how she stays so tiny with all the food she eats, actually. But it was so refreshing to see a beautiful girl enjoy a meal. She asked about me, instead of focusing on telling me about herself. I found myself laughing and smiling more than I usually do. Our playful banter continued. And most of all, I was comfortable. I didn't feel the usual pressure to eat, sleep, and leave, for once. After dinner, we got some ice cream cones at a local shop. Clary got ice cream on her nose, so I wiped it off with my finger. She blushed and smiled as I licked it off my finger, smirking at her.

We held hands as I drove home, listening to the radio and chatting. My mind was racing with all of these feelings. This girl was my dream and I loved her. She was mine. The thought was distracting. I rubbed her knuckles with my thumb and smiled once again. She was telling me about an upcoming art show she was helping to organize. She was hoping a few of her pieces would be selected to be shown. I had complete confidence in her, she's a wonderful artist. I told her I would definitely be there no matter what. I wanted to support her.

We walked hand in hand back to her apartment. It was empty; Izzy was out, I guess. We stood in the doorway for a few minutes before she invited me in. We collapsed onto the couch and cuddled together. "I had an amazing time. I love you," I said to her. Her emerald eyes reached into my soul.

"I love you too, Jace." With that, she kissed me. I stood up, lifting her up with me. She wrapped her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck as I carried her to her bedroom. We both felt it – the electricity, the excitement.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry I've been gone so long! School started back up, and I just didn't have time to update. But here is the latest chapter! Warning: sex scene! I will have another bold notice when it is over, if you want to skip it.**

As soon as we got into her bedroom, I laid Clary gently on her bed before turning to lock the door. She was laying there, looking at me with such love that I felt a warmth through my entire body. I walked back to the bed and slid her sandals off of her feet. I removed my shoes and then my hands ran up the sides of her body from her feet all the way to her face as I crawled onto the bed. I laid next to her, breathing in her scent and remembering every detail of her body. She seemed to be doing the same.

I moved closer to her and when our lips met it was magic. I deepened the kiss as her hands wandered under my shirt, rubbing up and down my abs. It was fantastic. I moved my lips to her neck and she sighed with pleasure. I nipped and sucked at her pulse point until I knew she was marked as mine. We broke apart, but just long enough for her to pull my shirt over my head. She started peppering kisses along my chest as my hands began to wander down her body to the hem of her dress. We kissed with renewed fervor as I pulled her dress up. My hands lingered on her bare stomach before continuing up. I removed her dress and rolled on top of her nearly naked body. She moaned as my hands went under her bra, palming her breasts in my hand. She took off her bra immediately and raised her chest to meet my hands even more.

My mouth moved to her left breast. I teased it with my tongue while my hand played with her other nipple. She groaned and began lifting her hips to meet mine. In only her panties, she was writhing beneath me. And it was amazing. Every time her hips met mine I felt myself getting harder. Her hands wandered down my chest before reaching the button of my pants. Her hands ran along the waistband of my pants before finally unbuttoning them. I pulled away from her chest long enough to get out of my pants before returning my lips to her perky, aroused nipples. I began peppering kisses down her body, until my lips were resting just above her hot core.

Clary's moans egged me on as I peeled her panties from her body, sliding them down her legs. I ran one hand along her wet slit while I peppered her legs with kisses. "_Jaceee,_" she moaned, moving one hand to her left breast while the other landed in my hair. Her moan was driving me crazy, and I slid one finger into her. She groaned and wiggled, silently begging for more. I brought my mouth down to her and my tongue pressed on her swollen bundle of nerves. "JACE!" she screamed, "Jace, keep going, ahhh." She was pressing my head further into her as I flicked her clit with my tongue and added a second finger inside of her. I kept up my ministrations until I felt her walls clenching around me. Her thighs squeezed my head, and I knew she was close. I sped up my tongue until I felt her juices release around me and she screamed my name.

As she came down from her high, she pulled me by my hair so that my mouth met hers once again. I knew she tasted herself on my lips, but she didn't seem to care. She was too far gone. She rolled us over so that she was on top and quickly slid my boxers down my body, freeing my massive erection. Smiling, she slid along me so that my head was rubbing up and down her slit. My hands were on her breasts, rubbing and teasing her nipples and our lips were pounding against each other. I flipped her back over, I needed to be on top. I needed to show her how good it could be. She pointed to the end table next to the bed and I grabbed a condom out of the top drawer. Wasting no time, I slipped the condom on and then slid inside of her. At first I was gentle, but she wasn't interested in gentle. "Harder, harder, harder!" she screamed. I was happy to oblige. Then my thrusts became frantic. After a few minutes, she flipped us over so that she was on top again. She began bouncing up and down, and I reveled in the feeling as her body pounded onto mine. I kissed her breasts and grabbed her ass, squeezing gently. "God, Clary," I moaned.

I had never felt this pleasured before. I've had sex with more girls than I am happy to admit, but it never felt like this did. I flipped us over so that I slammed into her from behind. _Oh my god. Jesus. _Knowing I wasn't going to last much longer, I reached around her body and rubbed her bundle of nerves again. The pleasure continued to grow. "Jace, oh my god, Jace. More, more!" She screamed and thrashed as she reached her peak, and I felt myself tensing inside of her. "Come with me, baby," I said, out of breath. I felt her walls clench around me and I lost it. We came together and it was heaven. "That was…" I began. "Fucking amazing," Clary finished. She kissed me softly. "I love you," I said. "I love you too. So much," she said, before drifting to sleep in my arms.

**Lemons are over!**

The next morning, I woke up just as the sun began to rise. Clary was still fast asleep in my arms. The previous night flashed through my mind and I couldn't help but smile as I gently shook my beautiful girl awake.

"Hey, sleepyhead, we gotta get ready for class," I whispered in her ear as she started to stir next to me.

"I'm having a really, really good dream. Go away," she mumbled. I just laughed and kissed her lightly. Her eyes flew open; they were bright and shining. "Morning," she said through a yawn.

"Morning. Time to go to class… Let's go!"

The day passed in a blur. With Clary by my side, nothing else really mattered. We had lunch with Izzy and Simon before she had class and I had practice.

The next few weeks and months went by in much the same manner. We went to classes, spent every free moment together, she came to my games, wearing my jersey, and we made passionate love almost every night. I can't remember ever being happier. Falling asleep every night with her in my arms was beyond anything I could ever dream.

Before I knew it, it was finals time. Soccer season was over, so I had even more time to spend with Clary. We went home for Christmas break, excited to get to be together without school, social lives, soccer, and everything else between us. Exam period was rough, but we helped each other through it and survived, thank God.

One day while we were home, soon after Christmas, my little brother Max asked Clary if she would take him to Forbidden Planet, a comic book store near our house. Max always had a crush on Clary, mostly because they shared a love of all things geek. When he found out we were dating, he was actually mad until Clary explained that she would help him find a girl his age to like, since she was just a bit too old for him. Anyhow, Max practically dragged Clary to the store and I followed behind, smiling at how happy I was to be domesticated and in love. Going to a comic book store with Clary and my little brother made me happier than any night of partying I had ever had.

Clary was acting off, though. It made me nervous, because things had been going so well for months and I didn't want it to be ruined. So I pretended everything was fine, meeting her smile with my own, even though I knew her smile didn't meet her eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

Clary, Izzy and I headed back to NYU two days after New Year's. Alec and Magnus were going on a cruise, so they wouldn't be back at the apartment for a few more days. Clary was staying with me at my apartment. She was still acting strange and it was making me more nervous by the minute. Finally, I decided I needed to talk to her about it. I couldn't take the awkward silences that were suddenly a part of our relationship. It had been almost two weeks and she hadn't mentioned anything, so I guess the ball was in my court.

The night I decided to bring it up, we had spent the whole day just being together. We went to lunch and rented a bunch of movies. We came home and vegged in front of the TV, watching movies for hours. I knew it was then or never, so I paused the movie and turned to look at her. She was wrapped in a blanket, wearing her pajamas, with her hair in a messy bun and no makeup. She looked more beautiful than ever at that moment. I moved closer to her and took her hand as she looked at me suspiciously.

"Jace, what's up?" She sounded worried.

"I don't know. What's up? You've been acting strange since Christmas. Did I do something? Are your leaving me? Please, we are so perfect together, don't leave me." I was feeling dejected already.

She sighed and moved even closer, so that she was almost sitting on my lap. "No, Jace, you're perfect, I swear. It's just…" She was hesitating, she didn't want to tell me, but I noticed her heart beat speeding up and her eyes getting glassy.

"Tell me, Clare. I'll help you. Please, honey. I love you and I'm not going anywhere, tell me what's wrong." I was begging, _again_. Only for Clary.

Tears were silently rolling down her cheeks now, and I saw the wheels turning in her mind behind the tears. "Jace…I…I…I t-th-think I'm pre-preg-pregnant." She could barely get the words out, and she clutched my hands tighter. "P-please don't l-le-leave m-me."

"What?" I was shocked. I literally couldn't breathe. I took my hands from hers and stood up, pacing. "How could you not tell me? How can you not know for sure? Did you take a test?" She was bawling now, and I didn't even notice as I yelled at her. I was freaking out and I don't deal well with panic, clearly. She curled herself into a ball and rested her chin on her knees, wiping her eyes.

"Dammit Jace, I'm t-terrified. I didn't… I didn't know what to do. I didn't want you to… to leave m-me. I wanted to pretend it wasn't poss-possible. But the longer it's been, the more… the more real the whole thing is getting. I was going to… tell you…"

I cut her off. "When Clare? When were you going to tell me? When you couldn't hide it anymore?! When you had no choice? We're a team Clary. You should have told me." As the shock was wearing off, I was calming down, but she was still hysterical. _Crap, it's because of me. I made her cry, again. And when she is so vulnerable. God, I am a terrible human being!_ I sat down next to her and pulled her hands from her face, wiping her tears with my thumbs. We just looked at each other as she slowly calmed down.

"Clary, I love you. I'm not leaving. I'm just really surprised. And you should have told me. You've been dealing with this all alone for weeks. I could have been there for you."

Her tears stopped and her eyes widened. "You're… you're not breaking up with me?" She seemed truly shocked.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Of course not! I love you and this baby, if there is a baby, is just as much mine as yours. We're in this together. But we need to know. You have to take a test.

"I… I um… I bought one." She mumbled, still shocked that I wasn't running. "It's at my apartment."

I stood up and pulled her by her hands. "Well then, let's do this. Go get it and bring it here. We will have privacy." She smiled, barely, before nodding.

"Don't leave," she whispered as she left, truly scared I was going to abandon her and the baby right then and there. _Our baby. Our baby conceived while we are college freshmen with no jobs. Our baby that will look like her and be part of her. Our child. _I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice her come back. I silently accompanied her to the bathroom and waited outside while she… what? Peed on the stick, I guess. She opened the door and fell into my arms.

"Three minutes," she said as she gripped me. I tightened my arms around her and kissed her forehead. We stood there hugging, silently reassuring each other, until the timer she set had set went off. We separated, both of us getting even more nervous. She went to the test and I followed right behind her. She handed me the test. Taking a deep breath, I looked at the stick in my hands.

"It's… it's positive…" I nearly cried as I collapsed to the ground, pulling her with me. We were both crying for so many reasons.

"Clary, we are a team. We are in this together. But we will do what you want. You're the one pregnant. I will support you no matter what – I will do this with you. Just tell me what you want to do," I said, running my hands through her hair and holding her close.

"I… I want to keep it. I want to raise it. That's why I thought you were going to run. I want to be this baby's mother, but that doesn't mean you have to be it's father. I'm giving you an out." She seemed so small and broken at the thought of me leaving her.

"Clary I want you. And I can't say I didn't think about us having kids. Maybe this is earlier than we planned, but we can do this. I know we can. It's going to be hard, but it won't be just you. I will be with you every step of the day, loving you and loving this baby. Our baby." I couldn't control the awe that seeped into my voice when I said the words out loud. _Our baby._

"Our baby," she whispered, smiling to herself a bit. I couldn't help the massive amounts of worry that were seeping into my mind as we held each other on the bathroom floor. I fell asleep thinking about marriage, settling down, money, a baby, and most of all the difficulties that the woman I love was going to face in the upcoming months. But as she breathed steadily in my arms, I knew we could figure it out together.

After what felt like minutes, but may have been hours, she stirred in my arms and I woke with a start. A shy smile spread on her face, until she met my eyes. I could tell that she was waiting for me to ditch her. She could see the fear in my eyes, I'm sure. But she misunderstood. Being scared didn't mean I was leaving, it just meant I was scared. I was scared for both of us. For our future.

"Do you really think we can do this?" I asked her softly.

"Yeah, I do, actually. Like you said, it won't be easy. But we have each other." My lips met hers urgently as my hands slid up and down her body. Having sex with the mother of my child on the bathroom floor was never something I planned to do. But it was exactly what we needed that night. We silently comforted each other, reassured each other, and expressed our love – suppressing the rest of the world for one night.


End file.
